CHOICE AND EQUITY:

The Commonwealth promotes quality, choice and equity in education. There is a public benefit in the schooling of all children, and this is recognised in the provision of public funding on account of each child, whether parents choose a government or a non-government school.

The Howard Government strongly upholds the right of all parents to decide on the best school for their children. That is why the Coalition abolished Labor’s New Schools Policy which stopped the establishment of new non-government schools.

Children learn differently and respond to different school environments. The more parents have choice in schooling, the more they will be able to select a school that will best suit their child’s educational needs. Schools are then encouraged to be more responsive to their communities and to work with them to improve educational outcomes.